Volume 8
Chapter 39
"Have you become an idiot? Or perhaps, bewitched by a fairy?"
At the sudden marriage
proposal, Vitora's mind went completely blank for a moment. While inwardly
leaping for joy at the look of surprise on the vampire princess—who hadn't
broken her insolent attitude until now—Victor continued.
"It is hardly
surprising, is it? Since ancient times, marriage has been the way to strengthen
family ties. My wife has already passed, and if I recall, Vitora-dono is not
married either, correct?"
"Well, yes, that
is true... I see. So that is your intention. You plan to become a member of the
Wajiart family, thereby fulfilling the pact and concluding the treaty
simultaneously?"
"Yes. In truth,
the Francilt family has other candidates for the next head besides my daughter.
Therefore, this house will manage somehow, even if I am gone."
In short, he was
offering himself as a convenient hostage. However, in such cases, the target is
usually a close blood relative, not the head of the family. For a current head
to marry into another family—and one from a country with no diplomatic
relations at that—was unheard of. However, Victor's voice held no hesitation or
shadow. Thus, Vitora keenly sensed the seriousness hidden behind his calm
words.
"You speak
boldly. Your goal is simply to ensure your daughters' safety, is it not? And
you surely understand the conditions for marrying into my family."
"Yes. 'Half-breeds' do not exist among
vampires. Therefore, to marry a vampire, one has no choice but to become a
vampire."
There are two ways
vampires multiply. Vampires joining to bear children, or changing other races
into vampires. The purpose of marriage, for the prosperity of the species, is
no different for vampires. And 'half-breeds'
do not exist. They are a race that, without exception, has always conducted
marriages by transforming other races into their own through blood.
"Vampires suck
blood and turn people into monsters. But in truth, that is, in a sense,
incorrect. Vampires do not turn people into monsters by sucking blood. They do
so by giving their own blood, attempting to change the other party into an
existence like themselves."
"Yeah, that's
right. To us, blood is special. To share blood is to make oneself a part of the
other, and the other a part of oneself. That bond, at times, takes precedence
even over our duels, which prize strength. But..."
"Even if I accept
your blood, there is no guarantee I will become like you."
"That's right. In
fact, you will almost certainly fail. You are not, originally, worthy of
receiving my blood. The very reason our ancestors were driven out was the
rampages of those who could not withstand our blood."
"Yes, that is
likely true. My own personal strength is no more than dust to you, blown away
with a puff of air."
From the beginning, Victor
never thought he could withstand the magic power in Vitora's blood. The moment
she demanded the fulfillment of the pact, he had intended to be the sacrifice.
"I will cease to
be human. I will no longer be able to embrace my daughters. But that is fine. I
have other successors besides those girls."
As he spoke, Victor
turned his gaze to a painting in the corner of the guest hall. It was the
painting of his young daughters and his late wife, apparently moved from his
office. The memory of his daughters' births resurfaced. When Irisdina was born,
he had been so flustered he'd exasperated his wife and the midwife. When
Somilliana was born, he was enveloped in great sorrow. His wife, frail to begin
with, was on the brink of death, and their daughter was born prematurely. And
he could do nothing but watch as his wife sacrificed her own life to protect
their weak child. That was why he had resolved. If his own life ever became
necessary for his daughters, he would sacrifice it without hesitation, just as
his wife had.
"Of course, I
will take measures to ensure you suffer no disadvantage. If I become a ghoul, I
have ordered Mena to dispose of me immediately. With her skill, I trust it will
not be an issue."
At her master's words,
Mena shifted, half-turning. A rapier hung at her waist. Ting... She drew the blade slightly from its scabbard, revealing a
sharp mithril edge. Faced with Victor's resolve, Vitora finally broke into a
wide grin.
"Ku, kukuku...
Good. Excellent. You have good eyes. Those eyes, seeking to grasp victory even
in death. They are very much to my liking."
Unable to suppress her
laughter, a deep, gut-wrenching joy spilled from Vitora's lips. Her red pupils
dilated with unconcealable excitement, and her mouth began to twist into a
terrifying grin. Visible magic power overflowed from her body, and the snow
falling outside the window began to intensify.
"Today is a fine
day. For those who possess the same eyes to gather in one place."
"The same
eyes?"
Victor tilted his head
at Vitora's suddenly cryptic words. Just then, the doorknob of the guest hall
clicked and turned. The mansion was supposed to be empty. No one should be
there. At the sudden presence, Victor instinctively turned toward the door...
and was struck speechless.
"!"
"Welcome,
sacrificial daughters cast aside by your father. Never mind the man there, I
shall welcome you."
There stood the very
daughters he was supposed to have put to sleep and banished. And they bore the
same resolved eyes as he.
***
Time rewinds slightly,
to just before the negotiations with the Wajiart family began. Irisdina felt
her consciousness slowly rising from a heavy, leaden slumber.
"Ugh...
nn..."
Her consciousness
quietly rose and sank, over and over, spurred by the heat and white light
filtering through her eyelids. But when she recalled the image of her father looking
down on her as he declared her disownment, her consciousness, which had been
drifting in a warm haze, snapped violently awake.
"!"
Kicking off the
blanket, Irisdina sat up. Her eyes met a guest room characterized by its calm,
brown color scheme. A fire crackled in the fireplace. Seated in a chair nearby
was a noblewoman. Resting on her lap was Irisdina's beloved weapon. The lady
confirmed Irisdina was awake, and her tightly pressed lips relaxed somewhat.
"Oh, you're
awake."
"Madam Parline..."
The woman in the chair
was Mazarinette Parline, an old friend of her father's. Seeing Irisdina was
awake, the lady poured water from a nearby pitcher into a glass and handed it
to her. The coolness of the water, and the glass in her hand, helped to calm
her confused mind.
"Do you remember
what that idiot said to you?"
"...Yes."
"I see."
Irisdina's voice,
answering the lady's question, was unimaginably weak, a stark contrast to her
usual dignified self. Madam Parline watched painfully as Irisdina slowly sipped
the water. Mazarinette had known Irisdina since she was a child. She knew
Irisdina had spent nearly her entire life preparing to become the next head of
the Francilt family, all to protect her family. She could see Irisdina's hand
gripping the empty glass so tightly her knuckles were white. Not only that, she
was biting her lip, desperately suppressing her humiliation. It spoke volumes
of how shocked she was by her father's declaration.
"Ane-sama!"
Suddenly, the door
flew open, and a young, dark-haired child burst in. It was Somia, who had been
brought here, asleep, with Irisdina. She must have also been told that her
father had disowned them. With a tragic expression, Somia saw her sister on the
bed and, bursting into tears, threw herself into her arms.
"Somia..."
"Ane-sama!
Father... Father... I... I..."
Stroking Somia's head
as she sobbed and clung to her, Irisdina turned her gaze to Madam Parline by
the fireplace.
"Madam Parline,
how long was I asleep?"
"Not even a full
day. It should be about time for the final negotiations to begin, shouldn't
it?"
"I see..."
Irisdina had guessed
her father's reason for the disownment. It was because the Francilt family was
about to face negotiations with the Wajiart, a family with which they had a
history. As her sister wept in her arms, an unspeakable anger welled up in
Irisdina. Rationally, she understood. The targets of the secret pact were
Somia, and by extension, herself. That was why Victor had used disownment as a
way to let them escape.
(Father, you can't be
serious!)
But this act threw her
entire life's resolve—her decision to carry the Francilt family—into the
gutter. At the passion erupting from deep within, Irisdina grit her teeth and
slowly stood up from the bed.
"Wait. Where do
you think you're going?"
"I am returning
to the mansion. I am the next head of the Francilt family. I cannot abandon
this matter."
As Irisdina moved
toward the door, two shadows smoothly blocked her path: Madam Parline's two
guard maids. They radiated the aura of skilled fighters. Irisdina's eyebrows
rose slightly. In terms of personal skill, she didn't feel she would lose, but
she was currently unarmed. Their gazes met, and a tense atmosphere filled the
room.
"I can't let you
go. Victor banished you. You're not a Francilt anymore."
"No, I am still
involved. Even if my name is stripped, the direct blood of the Francilt family
flows in me. That vampire princess will simply ignore that for her own
convenience."
"I'm sure she
would. That's exactly why he stayed behind. You understand what that means,
don't you?"
The pieces clicked
into place in Irisdina's sharp mind. At the conclusion she reached, she choked
out her feelings.
"...How
selfish."
"That's right.
It's his selfish will. But it's his final selfish wish. If that's the case, I'm
willing to listen, even if it is the request of a man I find
disagreeable."
While keenly feeling
Irisdina's anger, Mazarinette maintained her flat demeanor. However, her voice
was tinged with a faint sadness.
"Either way, I
have no intention of letting you return to the Francilt mansion. It's
frustrating for me as well, but I believe this is the best course of
action."
Madam Parline sighed
deeply, as if shaking off her own anguish, and met Irisdina's gaze. But
Irisdina did not back down. Even with her status stripped, she met Mazarinette's
gaze head-on, her eyes filled with the dignity and responsibility of her family,
without so much as blinking.
"...Do you intend
to confine us?"
"Yes. At least,
until this matter is resolved."
Sighing deeply,
Irisdina stroked her sister, who was clinging to her waist, and looked at the
ceiling. 'Banished,' 'confined'—it was all just an excuse, a pretext for the
outside world, to protect them. Both she and Somia understood that. They
weren't foolish enough to miss it. But even understanding that, her emotions
raged, along with a bitterness rising in her throat. Helplessness,
disappointment, and rage. A pain like a thick needle shot through her chest. Crack... crack... She thought she heard
something cracking, deep in her ears.
(Even so, I...)
Steeling her breaking
heart, Irisdina looked back at Madam Parline. The lady had been looking after
them since childhood, and was like a mother to both Irisdina and Somia, who
lost their real mother at a young age. She was strong-willed and often blunt,
but she was also a very compassionate, warm person. Heat returned to her
chilled heart.
"...Madam Parline."
"What is
it?"
"Thank you. For
indulging my father's selfish wish. And... I am sorry. I cannot comply with
this arrangement."
And so, Irisdina,
fully understanding the good intentions of her father and Mazarinette, rejected
them. At the sudden thanks, followed by the expected refusal, Mazarinette's
face twisted bitterly.
"Irisdina..."
Her voice was heavy,
yet warm, like she was reasoning with an unruly child. But still, Irisdina
would not agree. She could have run. Faced with that choice, she chose not to.
"I have spent my
entire life preparing to become the head of the Francilt family. To protect
what is precious... That is precisely why I cannot back down now."
To protect those
precious to her. That was her reason for wielding a sword, the reason for
living she had found for herself. She could have run, perhaps. But she did not
make that choice.
"Besides,
Vitora's target is likely not us. She is after the 'big fish' she can catch using us as bait."
"...Nozomu
Bountis?"
"Yes. My father
and I are nothing more than bait to that vampire princess. That is exactly why
I must go."
"...What do you
mean?"
"It means that if
I am to be taken hostage, there is a way to handle it."
"There's no
such... "
"There is. Just
one. More difficult than threading a needle. It's possible... Father is
thinking the same thing."
As she said this,
Irisdina smiled. For one heading to her death, it was a shockingly clear and
resigned expression. Madam Parline felt an unspeakable anxiety at Irisdina's
enlightened expression. Before she realized it, her hand was tightly gripping
the hem of her dress.
"I will likely
die. But that is exactly what will create room for negotiation for that vampire
princess. One cannot achieve one's dearest wish without staking one's
life."
To protect those
precious to her. She had lived for that. Honed her skills for that. Spent her
entire life for that. She couldn't go back, and had no intention of doing so.
That was the life Irisdina had chosen for herself.
"Don't be
ridiculous! After hearing that, there is no way I can let you go!"
Madam Parline raged at
Irisdina, who so calmly accepted her own death. The shout echoing in the room
spoke volumes of how much she cared for Irisdina's safety.
"Cast it aside!
Right here, right now! Cast aside the self you've been! If you do, you can live
with him! That is the wish of that frivolous man... your father!"
Mazarinette screamed
at her to throw away her past self, everything she was as a Francilt. But
Irisdina merely gave her a troubled smile.
"Then, it can't
be helped..."
Mazarinette raised her
hand. The next moment, the maids by the door moved. Instantly cloaked in ki,
they moved without sound or presence, attempting to flank and assault Irisdina.
They intended to restrain the girls and take them from Arcazam. Perfect timing
and imperceptible movements. These two maids were, without a doubt, A-Rank
practitioners.
"Lady
Irisdina-sama, our apologies... Eh?"
"Kya!"
However, the situation
moved in a direction the maids hadn't anticipated. The two maids, who had been
separating, were suddenly flung toward the center. Their bodies collided, and
they tumbled to the floor in a tangle. Irisdina then unleashed a binding spell.
Dark chains erupted from the floor, completely restraining the two women.
"This is..."
Mazarinette's stunned
voice filled the room. Looking closely, she saw that thin, black threads were
entangled with the dark chains on the maids' bodies.
"I knew you would
try to stop me, Madam Parline. Therefore, I prepared magic that I could deploy
at your signal," Irisdina said, creating similar magic threads and playing
with them between her hands like a cat's cradle.
Black Spider's
Magic Thread. A spell that replicates the silk of a magic beast, possessing powerful
adhesion and elasticity. At Mazarinette's signal, Irisdina had secretly
deployed the threads... and used their tension to break the maids' stances. She
had anticipated two opponents... and even read their coordinated movements... Mazarinette's
mouth hung open, stunned that her forces had been so easily restrained.
"It may not look
like it, but I have been through my fair share of tough situations."
Smiling proudly,
Irisdina dispersed the magic threads and faced Mazarinette once more.
"It is true, I
love him. And I am endlessly grateful to both you and Father for respecting my
feelings."
"...You..."
"I want... to
live with him. I never thought I could feel this way. From the moment I
dedicated my life to being the Francilt head, I never imagined I would harbor
such feelings for anyone."
This was, without a
doubt, Irisdina's true heart. Feelings she had always suppressed and left
unspoken, out of her duty as the next head.
"Even if there is
no place for me by his side, I was happy just to have these feelings. This
flame in my chest... it will never be extinguished, no matter what."
As Irisdina spun her
hidden feelings... her words were deeper than the sea and hotter than any
flame. Mazarinette was simply mesmerized, watching the moment a young girl
blossomed into a woman who knew love.
"However, I
cannot cast aside the 'me' I've been. Unlike him... I am weak."
Her heart had been
shaken by jealousy and inferiority, but still, she would not bend her own
principles.
"The 'me' of the
Francilt family, the 'me' who loves my family, and the 'me' who loves him... I
cannot cast any of them aside. If I abandon even one, I will no longer be
myself."
No, she wasn't deft
enough to bend. She could handle daily trifles like flowing water, but at her
core, she was hopelessly clumsy.
"Madam Parline,
you also came this far without casting aside who you are. You were discovered
by the previous Lord Parline, you loved him, and when he passed, you decided to
shoulder the burdens he carried..."
At those words, Mazarinette
was truly speechless. She herself... had followed a single feeling and become
the head of a great house.
"I am the same.
Therefore, I cannot back down."
Irisdina stepped
forward and reached for the rapier Mazarinette was holding. There was no
resistance. The weakly held rapier was returned to its master, and the lady's
hand fell limply to her side.
"Ane-sama, I am
going too," Somia, who had been silent, announced.
"Somia,
but..." You must stay here.
Irisdina turned to her sister to say just that... but was silenced by the
equally resolved look in Somia's eyes.
"I have always
been protected. By Father, by Ane-sama, by Nozomu-san..."
She had always been
the one protected... But that happiness also cast a shadow on her heart. Her
desire to be like her sister... may have been influenced by that. Still, she
grew into a kind girl... because she had received enough love to chase away the
shadows she recognized in herself.
"I always...
hated my powerless self. Even now, I am powerless. But, but..."
Somilliana Francilt
knew how blessed she was. And she also knew her own powerlessness. She didn't
have her sister's talent. No ability manifested, she couldn't use a sword, and
her magic was still clumsy.
"But! I am also a
daughter of the Francilt family! I can't just be protected. I have to... move
forward for the people I want to protect!"
But her heart was
different. Even if she lacked the power... she possessed the strength not to
lose sight of her heart... The sister before Irisdina's eyes... was no longer
merely a powerless existence.
(Ah... She's
already... grown so big.)
In Irisdina's mind,
memories of her sister up until now came flooding back. A life born along with
her mother's death. The small, yet powerfully echoing cry was what allowed her
to determine her own way of life. She was a sister she had sworn to protect. However,
she, too, was growing up.
"Alright. Let's
go together."
"Yes!"
Irisdina's smile
deepened at her sister's strong nod. Watching them, Mazarinette sighed in
resignation and pointed to the door.
"There's a
carriage waiting. I originally prepared it to get you two out of here. Use
it."
"Thank
you..."
The sisters ran out,
hand in hand. After seeing them off, Mazarinette closed her eyes and looked to
the ceiling. As they vanished beyond the door, the magic binding the maids
dispersed. The two maids, unable to complete their orders... bit their lips at
their own failure and bowed deeply.
"We are sorry,
Mistress."
"It's fine. It's
fine. It's... fine."
To Mazarinette,
Irisdina and Somia were like her own daughters. She had intended to protect
them. But... they were no longer just children to be protected.
"They've become
women... It's when you're apart that you realize your feelings... no, they
already knew."
Especially Irisdina. Mazarinette
knew she was brilliant, but... she also had a fragile side. For her, there were
still aspects where she felt that if she didn't watch over them, they would be
in danger. But they were no longer the young girls she knew. As women, as
humans, they had grown and made their decision. They held in their hearts the
same feeling that she herself had once embraced... For the sake of the one I love.
"Then, there is
only one thing I can do. Remove what worries them, as much as I can... You two,
you understand, right? Contact Nozomu and Jihad-dono."
"Yes,
ma'am!"
It also meant that
they had left the hands of the older generation. If so, there was nothing more
to be said. Watching the carriage speed away from the mansion window... Mazarinette,
filled with both joy and loneliness, began to move quickly. To connect the path
for those who have a future.
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